The Fire

The fire was spreading, I could see the flames biting up at sky and continuing its terrifying and iron grip on the blackened house. I shivered in my oversized coat and wrapped it tighter around my frail body, despite the heat I could feel from the burning building I was still cold in the winter night. I didn’t even have the energy to push my long blonde dreadlocks away from my face let alone get up and call the fire brigade, but even if I could I doubt I would. I was frozen as usual to my place under a small arch between two shops and opposite this monstrous entity, but I imagined myself in that fire. I imagined the flames kissing my easily broken body, imagined it licking me, destroying me rather than the kid and the executive, her dad. I wanted so badly to be taken by the fire I thought for a minute that I might drag myself up and throw my body into it. A tear rolled down my check as I fought the urge to throw up. I don’t know how much time passed as the building got hotter and the flames grew higher, but two fire engines eventually pulled up. They wouldn’t notice me, no-one ever did. Maybe I could find my own fire later.

I sat up, “Daddy?” The door to my bedroom opened and I saw that at last my daddy was home. He’s left me alone all day again, but that’s okay. I’m eight now, I can look after myself. He had something in his hand; it was a plastic box with a black stick on it. It smelled funny too. He began to pour a liquid on the floor. “Daddy?” I asked again. He was scaring me as he began to coat the walls with the liquid. “Honey, its okay” he said to me in a soft voice, “It’s okay, we’re going to join Mummy and the angels.” I screamed and started shaking so Daddy ran to me and covered my mouth with his hand so I didn’t make any more sound. I was crying now as Daddy pulled out a lighter, what was he going to do? My heart seemed to stop as flames rose around us, I remembered what they told us at school if there was a fire, Miss Helen told us that we should stop, drop and roll. I couldn’t because Daddy was holding me. Then I hurt when the flames got me, I screamed again. The flames were pretty even though they hurt, yellow and red. Then everything went black.

I held on to my beautiful daughter as I watched the flames surround us. Now we would all be together as we should be. My beautiful daughter, my gorgeous wife and I. We would all be reunited in heaven. The fire would take us to my wife just as they took her away from us. She was shaking, and crying and trying to escape from my arms. She didn’t want to go! I didn’t understand why, she was going to be with her Mummy again. I was filled with rage, how dare she not be pleased to take this wonderful and blessed journey to the hands of God. It would only be our physical death, out spirits will live on in eternal love. The fire was engulfing her; I could feel it as well as see the flames dance on her dress like angels preparing her soul for rest. I smiled; it would all be over soon. I looked out into the flames I could see the dead face of my wife; I watched how she was cruelly taken away from me. I watched how, asleep in her bed the fire crept up and she slept on, unaware of the danger. Until eventually it got her and ravaged her body as it was now ravaging mine and our daughter’s. I laughed as eventually the darkness overtook my body.